25 Classic Bundt Cake Recipes

If you grew up in the 70s or 80s like I did, chances are you saw a Bundt cake or two sitting proudly on the dessert table at every potluck, church social, or Sunday supper. There was just something about those beautiful pans with their ridges and swirls that made an ordinary cake look extra special. My grandma kept her well-worn Bundt pan in the cupboard next to her cast iron skillet, and to this day, the smell of a Bundt cake in the oven takes me right back to her kitchen.

These 25 classic Bundt cake recipes are the ones that made generations of families smile. The old-fashioned Bundt cakes are cozy, nostalgic, and timeless. Some are rich with chocolate, others spiced with cinnamon or ginger, and many were born out of mid-century recipe contests that turned simple pantry staples into iconic cakes.

25 Vintage Bundt Cake Recipes

1

Old Fashioned Carrot Cake Bundt Cake Recipe

Grandma’s carrot bundt cake recipe is moist, spiced, and topped with cream cheese frosting for a nostalgic homemade treat.

Check out this recipe

2

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake

Bake the best Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake! Fresh blueberries, lemon zest, and sweet glaze make this moist, old fashioned dessert irresistible.

Check out this recipe

3

Grandma's Pistachio Bundt Cake with Pudding

Bake this Old Fashioned Pistachio Bundt Cake from scratch! Moist, nutty, and topped with pistachio glaze, it’s a homemade cake with vintage charm.

Check out this recipe

4

Grandma's Red Velvet Bundt Cake Recipe

Tangy, cocoa-kissed red cake baked in Bundt form for a festive twist. While red velvet originated earlier, Bundt versions caught on at potlucks in the 60s and 70s.

Check out this recipe

5

German Chocolate Bundt Cake

Moist chocolate Bundt layered or topped with the classic coconut-pecan caramel frosting. It’s a mid-century spin-off of the 1957 German Chocolate Cake craze that swept American kitchens.

Check out this recipe

6

Sock It To Me Cake

Vanilla sour cream Bundt swirled with cinnamon, brown sugar, and pecans, finished with glaze. This 1970s favorite borrowed its name from the catchphrase on the hit TV show Laugh-In.

Check out this recipe

7

Grandmama’s Outrageously Delicious Orange Bundt Cake Recipe

This orange bundt cake is absolutely magical! It’s full of so much fresh orange flavor, so moist, and so delicious, that you’ll never look for another orange cake recipe again.

Check out this recipe

8

Tunnel of Fudge Cake

A rich chocolate Bundt with a gooey fudgy “tunnel” baked through the center. First introduced at the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-Off, it became the recipe that made Bundt pans a household name.

Check out this recipe

9

Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

Moist Bundt flecked with poppy seeds and flavored with lemon. Popular in Eastern European immigrant kitchens and made its way into mid-century American recipe boxes.

Check out this recipe

10

Pineapple Pound Cake

Pineapple Pound Cake is sunshine in dessert form! It’s rich, buttery, and packed with sweet pineapple flavor in every bite. The crushed pineapple keeps this Bundt moist and adds a tropical touch.

Check out this recipe

11

Kentucky Butter Cake

Passed down from generations since the 1960's, families loved the rich buttery Bundt soaked cake with the vanilla-butter glaze that seeps into every bite.

Check out this recipe

12

Easy Chocolate Pound Cake

This easy Chocolate Pound Cake recipe combines a decadent batter, chocolate chips and dreamy chocolate glaze for an irresistible dessert!

Check out this recipe

13

Gingerbread Bundt Cake

Bake a festive gingerbread Bundt cake with dark, spicy, and fragrant with molasses flavors. The festive cake became a staple in the 1960's and was found on just about every holiday table.

Check out this recipe

14

Grandmas Old-Fashion Apple Cider Bundt Cake

This cozy little apple cider Bundt cake is inspired by old-fashioned cider donuts. Moist, spiced, and sugar-dusted, it's perfect for fall cravings and sweet Sunday moments.

Check out this recipe

15

Apple Spice Bundt Cake

Made with fresh apples, cinnamon, and sometimes nuts, the apple spice cake brought in all the flavors of fall. The classic Bundt cake was a favorite during apple harvest season.

Check out this recipe

16

Vintage Prune Cake Recipe

Vintage Prune Cake Recipe with a rich, buttery upgrade. Packed with warm spices, toasted pecans, and juicy prunes in every bite.

Check out this recipe

17

Carrot Bundt Cake

Spiced with cinnamon and filled with grated carrots, sometimes topped with cream cheese glaze. Popularized in the 1970s health-food movement, but still a grandma’s kitchen Easter classic.

Check out this recipe

18

Quick Coffee Cake

This quick coffee Bundt cake recipe requires minimal ingredients and can be prepped in no time giving you a dessert that everyone loved.

Check out this recipe

19

Old-fashioned Whipping Cream Bundt Cake

Sweet and delicious, this old-fashioned Bundt cake uses whipping cream instead of butter to give you a dessert that's worthy of any occasion. It's simple recipe and unique flavors is the perfect combination.

Check out this recipe

20

Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake - Noshing With the Nolands

Perfect for the holiday season, this cranberry orange Bundt cake is sweet, tart, and easy to make. The white icing drizzled on top gave the dessert and extra burst of flavor.

Check out this recipe

21

Marble Bundt Cake

Vanilla and chocolate batters swirled together for a striking marbled effect is what made a marble Bundt cake so popular. It's a dessert that has roots all the way back to the 1800s but became even more popular in the Bundt cake book years.

Check out this recipe

22

Pistachio Chocolate Bundt Cake (GF) - Well Fed Baker

A nostalgic treat with a modern twist, you probably remember this pistachio cake being served for dinner or around the holidays. It's a simple combination of a box of cake mix, pistachio instant pudding, chocolate syrup, eggs and oil.

Check out this recipe

23

The Best Gluten-Free Vegan Fruitcake - Christmas Cake (Allergy-Free)

A vintage Bundt cake that becomes a dessert that's allergy friendly today. Made without refined sugar-free with natural dried fruit, and alcohol, it's still a favorite in many homes for the holidays.

Check out this recipe

24

Pumpkin Bundt Cake - Cinderella Cake with Coachman’s Icing

Moist, warmly spiced cake made with pumpkin puree and a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Pumpkin Bundts became a fall staple in the 1970s as canned pumpkin grew in popularity.

Check out this recipe

25

The Perfect Old Fashioned Pound Cake Recipe

The original recipe for pound cake was named so because it called for a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, a pound of flour and (you guessed it!), a pound of eggs.

Check out this recipe

26

Glazed Almond Vanilla Bundt Cake

Moist Bundt flavored with almond extract, sometimes paired with glaze. A favorite at weddings and holidays in Scandinavian-American households.

Check out this recipe

27

Easy Cinnamon Bundt Cake Recipe

A dessert take on the breakfast classic, swirled with cinnamon-sugar and drizzled with icing. Popularized in the 1980s with the rise of coffeehouse-style baked goods.

Check out this recipe

28

Banana Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Ripe bananas make this Bundt naturally sweet and moist. It became a post-WWII staple in households where “waste not, want not” meant never tossing overripe fruit.

Check out this recipe

Wrap-Up

Bundt cakes will always have a special place in my heart. They’re the kind of desserts that made family gatherings sweeter, potlucks more exciting, and weeknights a little more special. Whether it’s the fudgy Tunnel-of-Fudge, a festive Hummingbird Bundt, or grandma’s coffee cake, these recipes bring back the cozy flavors and memories we all cherish.

FAQs About Bundt Cakes

What makes a cake a Bundt cake?

A Bundt cake isn’t about the batter - it’s about the pan! The distinct ridged, ring-shaped pan gives the cake its iconic look.

Who invented the Bundt pan?

Nordic Ware created the Bundt pan in the 1950s, inspired by European kugelhopf molds. It became famous after the 1966 Tunnel-of-Fudge Cake.

Why were Bundt cakes so popular in the 60s and 70s?

They looked impressive without requiring decorating skills, making them perfect for busy home bakers and potluck tables.

Can I make any cake recipe in a Bundt pan?

Most dense cake batters work well, but lighter batters may not release or hold shape as beautifully.

What’s the most nostalgic Bundt cake?

Many would say the Tunnel-of-Fudge - it was the cake that started it all!